When the employer-review site Glassdoor.comrecently designated Dish Network the country’s worst employer, the CEO’s remarks on the topic weren’t particularly confidence-inspiring. (He called the worst-employer label “ridiculous.”) When a site like Glassdoor totes up the reviews on thousands of different employers and tells you your employees and former employees hate you best of all, that’s a time to take a look in the mirror. To call the Worst Employer designation ridiculous is to say “Those employees don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Ironically, the comments beneath the Denver Post story on Dish’s unwelcome new title share horrendous stories about bonehead management moves and talent-repelling policies in place at Dish. Here’s what Dish Network CEO Joe Clayton doesn’t understand, quite yet: he doesn’t understand that he can’t control public opinion. He can’t control the media, and he certainly can’t change the perception of employees who have suffered under Dish’s policies and culture.

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive and the CEO of Human Workplace, an online community and consulting firm focused on reinventing work and career education. She is working with the Denver Post to bring the best expert advice on work place issues and tips to improve your career. Note: Liz Ryan was selected for her expertise, but her opinions are solely her own. We are not endorsing or advocating her business.